Episodes

  • Why California's high speed rail was always going to blow out

    Why California's high speed rail was always going to blow out
    Jun 6 2024
    99.5 percent of megaprojects are either over time, over budget or have lower benefits than expected. What's going wrong? Today, we look at case studies from California's high speed rail project to the Sydney Opera House to consider the do's and don'ts of ambitious projects.

    Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner's book on megaprojects is How Big Things Get Done: The Surprising Factors that Determine the Fate of Every Project, from Home Renovations to Space Exploration and Everything In Between.

    Related episodes:
    Why building public transit in the US costs so much (Apple / Spotify)
    Planes, trains and bad bridges (Apple / Spotify)

    ICYMI, preorder our new Indicator t-shirt at the NPR shop. For more ways to support our show, sign up for Planet Money+ where you'll get sponsor-free listening, bonus episodes, and access to even more Indicator merch!

    Music by     Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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    9 mins
  • Why the U.S. helps pay for Israel's military

    Why the U.S. helps pay for Israel's military
    Jun 5 2024
    The United States has been a supporter of Israel since the nation's establishment in 1948. With the civilian death toll rising in the Israel-Hamas war, growing scrutiny is mounting over just how much the U.S. should support Israel's military. Today, a historical explanation for why the United States tied itself so closely to support for Israel.

    Related episodes:
    Protesters want schools to divest from Israel. How would that work? (Apple / Spotify)

    ICYMI, preorder our new Indicator t-shirt at the NPR shop. For more ways to support our show, sign up for Planet Money+ where you'll get sponsor-free listening, bonus episodes, and access to even more Indicator merch!

    Music by     Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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    9 mins
  • Common economic myths, debunked

    Common economic myths, debunked
    Jun 4 2024
    Maybe you've heard these things on social media, in the news, and take them as fact: More than half of the adults in the US live paycheck to paycheck, the trade deficit is always bad, and making the super wealthy pay their fair share will fix everything. Well, the truth isn't so simple. Today on the show: economic mythbusting. We take three factoids about the American economy and run them through the fact checkers.

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    9 mins
  • Unveiling our mascot's new name and merch!

    Unveiling our mascot's new name and merch!
    Jun 3 2024
    MERCH! You asked for it. We got it. After rebranding our podcast earlier this year, we decided it was time to create our own merch. On today's show, a brief oral history of early merch, how to score an Indicator t-shirt, and the winning name of our new mascot.

    • Preorder the t-shirt now at shopnpr.org/indicator
    • Sign up for Planet Money+ to access more Indicator merch

    Related episodes:
    Name our mascot. No, really (Apple / Spotify)
    Planet Money Makes a T-shirt

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    9 mins
  • The cutest indicator in the world

    The cutest indicator in the world
    May 31 2024
    Indicators of the Week is back, where we dig into three economic snapshots from the global economy. This week, we are exploring consumers' ever so slightly improved perception of the economy, what's going on with carbon offsets, and why China is sending some pandas to U.S. zoos.

    Related Episodes:
    Actors back. Pandas gone. WeBankrupt. (Apple / Spotify)
    How Red Lobster got cooked and other indicators (Apple / Spotify)
    Emission Impossible (Apple / Spotify)

    For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

    Music by     Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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    9 mins
  • Indicator Quiz: May Edition

    Indicator Quiz: May Edition
    May 30 2024
    It's time for The Indicator Quiz! We test you, dear listener, on your knowledge of topics that we've covered on The Indicator! Today's quiz focuses on ch-ch-changes. (That's a David Bowie reference, kids!) We're covering changes in the economy, the environment, the rental market, you get the picture. We're even tossing in a question about an AI-resurrected rapper. Play along with us and see how you do! Are you interested in being a contestant on our next Indicator Quiz? Email us your name and phone number at indicator@npr.org and put "Indicator Quiz" in the subject line.

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    9 mins
  • Using anecdotes to predict recessions

    Using anecdotes to predict recessions
    May 29 2024
    Eight times a year, we award regional Federal Reserve Banks with our coveted Beigie Award. While the anecdotes within the Beige Book offer us fascinating looks into the economy, to others, it can be difficult to make anything of the stories they tell. That's why we're giving out a special Beigie award today to some economists who found a way to use anecdotes to peer into our economic future.

    Regional Economic Sentiment: Constructing Quantitative Estimates from the Beige Book and Testing Their Ability to Forecast Recessions

    For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

    Music by     Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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    9 mins
  • Can dental therapists fill the gap in oral care?

    Can dental therapists fill the gap in oral care?
    May 28 2024
    Dental therapists have been practicing in other parts of the world for decades, but in the U.S. they are relatively few and far between. Like a hygienist, dental therapists can do cleanings as well as some procedures usually reserved for dentists, like simple extractions. They could also be the solution to getting underserved, rural communities better oral care. Today on the show, new momentum for dental therapy and why the American Dental Association is pushing back.

    Related episodes:
    The value of good teeth

    For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

    Music by     Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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    9 mins